*Featured image: The Meep by James Hance*

Usually, our first responsive thought to the suggestion that we might have to get up on stage may be something like this: “you mean in front of people?!” Now, by “getting up on stage” I don’t mean singing, or dancing, or performing a comedy act – most people would probably prefer to do those instead. No, I mean the big, giant, enemy of our very souls, Public Speaking! =O (Cue scary music). Whenever the time comes to give that big presentation or speech, or maybe even something as simple as asking a question during a meeting, the scary thought of public speaking can send most of us running for the hills. I’m sure that we have all heard about the infamous surveys showing that people are more afraid of public speaking than they are of dying. Can you believe it? This basically states that some people would welcome death if it meant that they wouldn’t have to be involved in public speaking. I know that public speaking can definitely be intimidating, but it does not always have to be deadly. I personally love public speaking – I like the spotlight. Sure, right before I have to start, I feel like throwing up everything I consumed the night before, but I work my way around it. Mainly by making sure I don’t do that =). Nevertheless, as you read on you’ll find that there are some things you probably wish you knew about how to handle the big monster called “Public Speaking.”

1. I wish I didn’t get so nervous!

One thing you need to know firsthand is that nerves are your body’s way of preparing; they can actually be used as a tool. Instead of thinking “I’m so nervous,” you should change your thought process to tell yourself “I’m getting so ready for this!” instead. When you start feeling nervous about your public speaking performance, you can use that energy to your advantage with just a little focus. Doing this will help you speak clearly and firmly, and this energy will serve as a drive for the correct body movement, depending on the kind of public speaking you might be involved in. Before I was married I was actually a performer – certainly not a famous one, but I did a lot of singing and some acting. This was the advice I was given by my coaches. Now, I noticed that whenever I used this tool I would always do great. However, when I let my nerves get the best of me and didn’t focus on using them to my advantage (i.e., negative talk: “What if I mess up? What if I fall? I feel nauseous! Etc.), it was not a pretty show; talk about embarrassing performances! >_<. So, before you do your public speaking, make sure you embrace those nerves. Practice positive self-talk, and focus on using these to work for you rather than against you.

(For more on self-talk, read this article: 3 Reasons You Should Talk to Yourself)

2. Eh… I’ll just wing it.

Although the term “wing it” sounds appealing to our spontaneous side, if you rely on this for public speaking you will often be in a lot of trouble. And unless you’re one of those wonderfully, naturally charming “win-the-crowd-over-with-very-little-effort” kind of people, you will always need to prepare (and even the naturals do some kind of preparation). Your amount of planning will always vary depending on what you are doing, but it will always be essential even for the most minimal kind of public speaking. For example, if you’re nervous about asking a question during a meeting, write it down before asking it and read it to yourself. This will give you more assurance in what you’re asking and will help you sound confident and firm when you speak up during the meeting. Now, when it comes to something more involved, such as giving a speech or presentation, needless to say that you should write it up beforehand – if you wing that and you don’t freeze up midsentence, then I salute you! But seriously, make sure you do your due diligence and prepare what you will say before you stand in front of your peers trying to do the old “pretend they’re all in their underwear” trick (which, by the way, absolutely never works).

3. I kind of, sort of, know what I’m talking about.

Undoubtedly, if you’re going to be involved in public speaking you should absolutely know your topic. This does tie into the preparation tip, but it is a different kind of preparation altogether. It would be really pointless if you prepared a power point presentation, reciting your fancy bullet points out loud, for you to then get stumped during Q&A because you actually don’t know your topic very well. Granted, you will most likely not know the answers for everything. When this happens it is perfectly okay to say “I don’t have the answer for that at the moment, but I will work on getting one for you.” However, you should be as prepared as you can be to encounter these kinds of situations, so make sure you do your research. Not only will you be able to answer these questions (if applicable), but doing your homework will also dramatically boost your confidence – and of course we’re all on board with a little confidence boost (whoop-whoop!). So, what happens when you feel confident? Well, you will be able to take control of your nerves, and you will also come across your audience as reliable in your subject knowledge, gaining their attention and trust. There is nothing more captivating in a presentation than someone who seems confident in what they’re presenting. If you’re not sure about the amount of research you’ve done on your topic, a good way to test this is by going through your presentation/speech and ask yourself some questions about the topic. This will not guarantee that you’ll have absolutely everything covered, but it helps tremendously. You can also practice your speech with some friends! Another set of eyes/ears will always be beneficial, and it allows you to laugh at yourself during practice time without necessarily wanting to sprint out of the room in fear.

See? Public Speaking is not so bad – certainly not worse than death! Of course, we know that people are not really more afraid of public speaking than they are of death (I’d hope not!). Although it is funny how this was the first answer that came to mind for most of these individuals when asked what they feared most; fear of death usually ranked second O_O. Coming from someone that actually welcomes the rush of public speaking, I can definitely say that it is still a nerve-wrecking and not always pleasant experience. However, following these easy and simple guidelines always helped me do my best, and I am sure it can do the same for you. So no need to jump off the bridge just yet; let’s conquer the fear of public speaking and live to tell about it! =)

Written by Nayadee Wilson